Bottle carrier



June 12, 1945. E.4 E MQRGAN 2,378,026

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed July 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l arme/Veys;

E. E. MORGAN BOTTLE CARRIER Filed July 24, 1944 2 sheetsfsheet v2INVENTQR. f'wz f. Mae/'M3 y Trop/Vini.

Patented June 12, 1945 j UNITED;

e Bo'rrLExoARmElt Earl E. Morgan, La Fayette., lila.

' VApplication 'Julyfza 1944, serial No. 546;249:

classe (crestavi The object of my invention is` to provide Vaysubstantial, but a relatively inexpensive, carrier for bottle groupsreadily associable witha group of bottles in the usual standard shippingcases. f The accompanying vention'; Fig. 1 is a my invention designedfor use in connection 4with a common form of beverage bottles suchas areused for soft drinks and beer; i

Fig. 3 isa section on line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Fig.'4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Fis. 4 with the bottleretaining elements in withdrawn position.

In the drawings IIJ indicates a main bo'dy provided with two parallelseries of bottle-neck receiving sleeves Il, '.II, the bores of which arelaterally spaced to conform to the usual spacing of the bottlereceptacles of standard shipping cases, each of said sleeves, at itsupper end, being provided with'a concave arcuate lip I2 adapted toengage a bottle jus-t under the usual bulge I3 which subtends the bottlemouth rim I4.

Paralleling each longitudinal series of sleeves I I, slightly above theupper level l5 ofthe innermost portions of sleeves I I is a rib. I6.Interposed between the upper edges I5 and each rib I6 is a lock plate I1provided along one edge with an upstanding rib I8, the upper edge ofwhich is rounded to t vunder a rib I6. Each plate I1, at its outer edge,is provided with a series of arcuate notches I9 laterally spaced,longitudinally of plate I1, to supplement lthe arcuate lips drawingsillustrate my inside elevationY of an embodiment'ofx lo Fig. 2 is a planof the structure shown inFig. l.;

I2 and adapted to engage bulges I3 of bottles I4 in opposition to thearcuate lips I2. Each notch I9 is reinforced by an upstanding arcuatelip 20'. The middle lip 20 is medially transversely notched at ZI and,adjacent this notch vplate I1., is perforated at 22 for the reception ofone end of a spring 23, the other end of which is anchored upon adepending teat 24 carried by a plate 25 depending from ribs I6. Mainbody I0 also comprises an upstanding handle 25 having a finger hold 21.Each plate I1 is provided at its outer edge with upwardly inclinedfingers 28' readily engageable bythe thumb of a user whose fingers havebeen projected through the finger hold 21.

By reason of the construction and relative arrangement 'of the edges I5,ribs I6 and inner edges.I8 of the locking plates I1, said plates may bepivotally associated with the main body Il) tions andmainbody "I Il andplateI'I areso shaped that they may be readilyfprodu'ced by 'ordinarytics, 'Droductionjcostybeing thereby reduced o aminimum. nl l.

The springs 23"no'rr'nal1y'r serve to`hold"their plates I 'I` upon-theirseats"l5fand to urge said plates laterallyinwardly-to` retain Atheiredges wunder .the b odyvof ribs laasffshown in Figi.

VMy holder 4may be readily-applied to Aa group of bottlesinanordinaryshipping container by lips I2 are carried suiiiciently belowthe bulges I3, said'locking plates I1 will be automatically returned totheir normal positions on their seats I5 so that their arcuate lips I9will underlie the rbottle bulges I3 of the selected group, whereupon themain body, together with the selected bottles, may be lifted and carriedto any desired point. v

In order 'to release any longitudinal series of bottles from thecarrier, the operator, by pressure of the thumb, may raise the selectedlocking plate I'I to the position shown in Figf,l whereupon the carriermay be lifted from the selected bottles.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bottle carrier comprising a main body having a plurality of spacedbottle-neck receiving portions each comprising a concave edge adapted tounderlie a bulged portion of a bottle, a locking plate seat anking saidconcave edges, a rib flanking said concave edges and vertically spacedfrom and overlying said seat, a locking plate seatable on said seat andyformed along one edge to underlie and pivotally associate with plateupon its seat on the main body and to hold one edge of said plate underthe'rib ofthe main body in pivotal association therewith. I

2. A bottle carrier comprising a mainv body having a plurality of spacedbottle-neck receivling portions each comprising a concave edge adaptedto underlie a bulged portion of a bottle, va locking plate seat ankingsaid concave edges,

without the necessity oi any machining operaa rib anking said concaveedges and vertically seat on the main body and to hold one ed'ge of saidplate under the rib of the main body iny pivotal association therewith.

3. In a bottle carrier comprising a main;` body having a plurality ofspaced bottle-neck receiving portions each comprising a concave edgeadapted to underlie a bulged portion ofra bottle; a

locking plate seat anking said concave edges, a v rib flanking saidconcave edges and verticallyspaced from andl overlying said seat,` alocking. plate `seatableg on. sadseat and formed along one edgetounderlie and pivotally associate jWith-said rib and formed atitsother` edge tounderlyingly engage bulged portions of the bottlesinoppos'itionto`saiclconcaveV edgesyfand a spring. anchored at one-endof theY locking plate spa-ced fromiits pivot edge and` anchoredl attheother 'end eny the main body' to yieldingly` seat the locking plateupon its seat onathe Ina-inV body? and to hold oneedge of said" plateunder the: rib of the Vmain pivotalA association'v therewith.

body? in 4. In a bottle carrier, comprising a main body having a seriesof spaced bottle-neck receiving portions at one side of said body and asecond series of spaced bottle-neck receiving portions at the other sideof said body, each of said portions comprising a concave edge adapted tounderlie a bulged portion of a bottle, a first locking plate seatianking said concave edges of said rst series, a second locking plateseat flanking said concave edges of said second series, a rst rib ankingsaid concaveed'ges of one` oisaid series and vertically spaced from andoverlying said rst A seat, a second rib flanking said concave edges ofsaid second series and vertically spaced from and overlying said secondseat, a first locking plate seatable onsaid rst seat and formed alongone edg to underlie and pivotally associate with said first rib andformed at its other edge to underlyingly engage bulged portions ofbottles in opposition to said rst series of concave edges, a secondlocking plate 'seatable on saidsecond-seat andiorrned along one edge tounderlie and pivotallyassociate with said second rib and-formeel at its`other'edge to underlyingly engagebulged portions of bottles inopposition tovsaidsecond series of concave edges, spring meansoperativelyassociated with said plates and with said body.v toyielding-ly seat the locking plates upon their seats on the body and 'tohold one edge of` each plateunder its associated rib inpivotalassociation therewith.

- EARL E. MORGAN.,

